Castro, Race and the Black Congressional Caucus: An Inconvenient Truth

It is not every day that the Washington Post and the Heritage Foundation sing from the same sheet of music. Today, on the problem of Cuba, we generally do. One must read the Post’s lead editorial “Coddling Cuba.”

There also appears to be an even deeper irony associated with the visit of the Black Congressional Caucus leaders. One the members have yet to grasp.

The argument is relatively simple. Cuba’s record on race relations involves a strong official stance against any form of racial discrimination contrasted with habits and practices that should be the subject of a vigorous debate back here in Washington. The track to higher positions within the Communist Party of Cuba and the powerful state institutions that run the nation favor substantially Cuba’s whites foremost and its mixed or mestizo citizens secondly. Cubans of color, of African-Cuban descent receive fewer opportunities in a so-called equal society. The Cuban regime is built on structures of political preferment [party membership and advancement] and economic stratification [jobs linked to the dollar-based peso or earning linked to the local peso] that amount to a system of apartheid.

the Cuban version of the “New Economy” is based not on computers or the Internet but rather on tourism, which is growing by leaps and bounds while the rest of the Cuban economy languishes. Young blacks say they are under- represented on the staffs of the big new five-star hotels and the ancillary service businesses springing up around Havana, the Varadero beach resort and other major cities. In today’s Cuba, with the economy substantially “dollarized,” those with access to tourists — and the dollars they spend — form a kind of new elite, and this elite of waitresses, doormen, tour guides and cab drivers appears much whiter than Cuba as a whole.

The election of President Obama has substantially stirred fresh emotions and hopes for change among ordinary Cubans. Issues of equality, access to political and economic participation, relaxations of state controls, greater freedom of speech are clearly called for. Before the U.S. elections, Fidel Castro predicted that “profound racism” in the U.S. would discourage millions from voting for Obama and said it was “a miracle” that candidate Obama had not been assassinated. On this count, as on so many, he was clearly wrong.

Therefore measures — such as the granting of trade credits or unrestricted tourism for Cuba’s “new economy” — that bring fresh resources to Castro regime will allow it in the name of the preservation of Cuba’s Communist revolution to prolong its stay in power and marginalize the very people the members of the Black Caucus claim they wish most to help.

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What does "Black" stand for? Is that a code word to mean something we wouldn't know by seeing? What is it AND is it the context of the word I should give high merit to? Why? What does "Black Caucus" mean?…

There are too many that point fingers at racism where it doesn't exist! Why is it so difficult to see all as people of one race, human. Accept it! To be racist is one thing, to break the law because of, is another. You can't control the way people feel, for the most part, anyway.

All jobs should require certain qualities and requirements to which the employer should be allowed to hire who he wants to pay. No preferential skin color required! Base raise on performance. Give the freedom to the people to make their own choices of employment based on their needs, budgets, will. If there happens to be more of one skin color then any other, who the heck cares? Obviously all that have a job, wanted one.

What's wrong Mr. Castro? Why can't you accept everyone just as human and only because of place of origin are our appearances and cultures different. Otherwise, we are all created equal… within our respective gender, of course. Which means we all get equal treatment, not preferential.

unfortunately the black caucus perhaps should be called the "blind caucus"…48 years of socialistic stagnation…propped up for a long time by russian intervention….demonstrates the failure of fidel to deliver on his promises….uva65

Why is it that within our Congress there are separate caucuses–especially formed around race? This is discriminary and really unpatriotic. With in the PC world, there could NEVER exist a white caucus and there shouldn't. There should be no caucus decided by race—it is racism.

How is it that any person or entity, other than a representative of the Department of State, can get clearance to go to Cuba and conduct foreign policy? This happened not too long ago when the (now jailed) Governor George Ryan of Illinois visited Cuba to discuss trade policy with that government. Can anyone in politics decide on their own that they are going to visit a communist dictatorship and speak with that government on behalf of the United States?

this just shows that racism isn't dead in a socialist/communist dictatorship. they (their goverment) wants what they want, total power and at the expense of someone else, mostly at the (deliberately) uneducated people who are brainwashed into beleiving them.

Thats how this major CHANGE appeared on our last presidential election.

I think we as Americans are in for a rude awakening by electing Obama; I myself did not vote for him and would not have because he is a Muslim and we are at war with the Muslims, so who in there right mind would elect one to run our country when he has the same mind set as the Muslim extremists. He has lied about everything that he promised to do during the campaign. I honestly believe that Obama wants to run the United States just like the Dictator Castro, why else would he let the black caucus go to Cuba on tax payer money. Our money is just wasted by the government on a daily basis. It is a down right shame.

I cannot believe that one of the congressman actually said some of the people in Cuba live 'better' than some in her own district! Unbelievable. Then again, sadly it is believeable. Always consider the source.

Çastro sure did see these folks coming. They seem to of forgotten that Fidel was the leader of a revolution and one does not usually become a leader of a coup without a great skill in politics/persuasion.

I think a lot of these Democrat congressmen would not know what their congressional districts looked like outside the few months they spend there during election campaigns.

If they're called the "Black Caucus," that is an admittance that they do not believe in equality. And to single out the descriptive word "black" means that is who they speak for, they do not speak for America as a whole for which she stands…

WE HAVE THE BLACK CAUCUS, BLACK UNION NATION, BLACK ACORN, BLACK RAINBOW (JESSIE jACKSON), BLACK NAACP, TOTAL BLACK T. V. STATION, THE BLACK AFFRIMATIVE ACTION. NOW WHY WOULD OBAM. HUSSIN, SEND THIS GROUP OF BLACK CAUCUS TO CUBA? WE HAVE ALL BLACKS VOTED FOR HUSSIN, ALL MEXICANS VOTED FOR HUSSIN. WE HAVE THE MEXICAN CALIFORNIA, THE MEXICAN ARIZONIA, THE MEXICAN NEW MEXICO, THE NEW YORK ,ASSORTMENT OF EVERYTHING. THE CUBAN FLORIDA. WE THE BLACK CAUCUS, WANT ALL CUBANS TO VOTE FOR HUSSIN IN THE NEXT ELECTION. VOTES! VOTES! WE WILL DO ANYTHING TO STAY IN POWER. ALL MEXICANS WILL BE LEGAL AND MORE TO COME.

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